9.6
Heater Power
The temperature controller controls the temperature of the bath by pulsing the
heater on and off. The total power being applied to the heater is determined by
the duty cycle or the ratio of heater on time to the pulse cycle time. This value
may be estimated by watching the red/green control indicator light or read di-
rectly from the digital display. By knowing the amount of heating to the bath
the user can tell if the bath is heating up to the set-point, cooling down, or con-
trolling at a constant temperature. Monitoring the percent heater power will let
the user know how stable the bath temperature is. With good control stability
the percent heating power should not fluctuate more than
±
1% within one
minute.
The heater power display is accessed in the secondary menu. Press “SET” and
“EXIT” simultaneously and release. The heater power is displayed as a percent-
age of full power.
S+E
Access heater power in secondary menu
12 Pct
Heater power in percent
To exit out of the secondary menu press “EXIT”. To continue on to the propor-
tional band setting function press “SET”.
9.7
Proportional Band
In a proportional controller such as this the heater output power is proportional
to the bath temperature over a limited range of temperatures around the
set-point. This range of temperature is called the proportional band. At the bot-
tom of the proportional band the heater output is 100%. At the top of the pro-
portional band the heater output is 0. Thus as the bath temperature rises the
heater power is reduced, which consequently tends to lower the temperature
back down. In this way the temperature is maintained at a fairly constant
temperature.
The temperature stability of the bath depends on the width of the proportional
band. See Figure 8. If the band is too wide the bath temperature will deviate ex-
cessively from the set-point due to varying external conditions. This is because
the power output changes very little with temperature and the controller cannot
respond very well to changing conditions or noise in the system. If the propor-
tional band is too narrow the bath temperature may swing back and forth be-
6020 Series Calibration Bath
User’s Guide
44